Notes for Identification: Origin: it occurs on open, rocky slopes of the upper foothills of the arizona sonoran desert into the chaparral and juniper grasslands. Within this limited range it is locally common. Hardiness zones: sunset 12-24 usda 9 - 11 landscape use: medium sized agave for large out of the away desert landscape spaces. Form & character: sharp and unfriendly growth habit: moderate growth habit; solitary succulent rosette, 3' and 5' wide. foliage/texture: rosettes grayish green relatively narrow, stiff and upright, strap-shaped leaves that are straight to undulate. Always well armed with pronounced teeth on the leaf margins that are brown to gray in color and are either straight, reflexed or deflexed, very coarse texture. Flowers & fruits: produces a towering 6'-12' flower panicle with congested (clusters of hundreds) umbels of bright golden-yellow flowers having a noticeable musky coconut aroma at full anthesis. seasonal color: flowers once before mother plant death. Flowering time is usually may to august. Temperature: very tolerant of lower desert conditions. Light: full sun soil: any soil type, but thrives best if soils are well-drained. Watering: limited to no supplemental irrigation is required for this desert agave. pruning: none propagation: seed, bubiles and division of basal offsets. Disease and pests: quite susceptible to the agave snout weevil in phoenix. Additional comments: a medium large agave with stout foliage makes this a plant that is best used away from areas of any human traffic. Otherwise this is one of the most heat tolerant agaves for the lower desert landscapes. Agave chrysantha is known to hybridize with a. Murpheyi, a. Palmeri, a. Parryi and a. Delamateri.